Yellow Flicker Beat
by starfire57
Summary: Enrolling in Beacon Academy seemed like the most practical way to assert their desires to be Huntresses. Notorious heart-breaker and fashion prodigy, Coco Adel becomes the leader of Team CFVY, which turns out to be easier than she imagined it to be but at the cost of heavy responsibility, made all the more complicated by her cute Faunus teammate, Velvet Scarlatina.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: High Hopes**

Velvet Scarlatina was always the center of attention but not for the reasons she wanted to be. In the world of Remnant, Velvet belonged to the race of "Faunus", as in those who possess an animal characteristic that distinguishes them from Humans. In Velvet's case, she had bunny ears. For years, she endured bullying and ridicule in all its shapes and forms, due to being a Faunus. That is why there was no question as to which academy she wanted to attend. Beacon, unlike the other elite academies, was welcoming to all races, and its headmaster, Professor Ozpin, was very vocal about his support for the Faunus. And despite garnering some hatred from elitist Humans, most of whom believed that all Faunus were "dirty animals", Professor Ozpin was always quick to rebut them with his simplistic logic and passive manner of speaking. Not to mention, Professor Ozpin was the youngest headmaster to ever be appointed and was, undoubtedly, very progressive and encouraged his students to do the same, to be open-minded and to be receptive to change, for change was inevitable.

"Students," the man with silver hair begins, taking a sip of coffee. "Today, you begin your journey in becoming Huntsmen or Huntresses . . . Today, you take a step a closer to becoming the best version of yourself . . . Today, you will begin to forge friendships with others who may very well save your life one day."

Cane at hand, the man in a dark cloak with dark green trimming pauses, eyeing the new first years. "Today, you are children . . . but in four years, you will be warriors. You will be the beacons of light in a world full of darkness. Some of you will be remembered in fairy-tales, myths, fables and what-not, while some of you may die trying."

Hearing gasps, the man clears his throat. "That is the reality, children," the man continues, pacing the stage, as his cane hits the hard floor. "If you want to be a hero. If you want to be remembered in stories. And if you want a legacy of children being named after you, then you are in the _wrong_ profession," he lectures, pausing. "Hero's aren't made; they are born . . . And for your sake, I hope the latter is the case . . . You see, here at Beacon Academy, we will _train_ you; we will _push_ you to become the best version of yourself; and we will _nourish_ that innate drive you have to be a great warrior. But again, children, it is up to you to discover if you were born a hero. It is up to you to take the training, the schooling, and the mentoring we provide and define what it all means to you . . . Can you be selfless? Can you put others' lives before your own? And can you accept death when it comes knocking at your door," the man finishes, gesturing a blonde over. "Professor Goodwitch, if you will," he adds, taking one last look at array of students before walking off the stage and back to his office.

Gulping, Velvet looks around the crowd of students, who take turns awkwardly staring at each other and sharing nervous smiles and laughs. One student, however, remained unfazed. Heart skipping faster, Velvet immediately recognized the girl. Her name was Coco Adel; they had studied together at Pharos Combat School before graduating and transferring to Beacon Academy.

Hiding behind dark shades, arms crossed, Coco checks out the blonde woman at the center of the stage. _**Body**: A+ **Fashion** A+ **Looks**: A++ _

Lingering her gaze at the cool, taller girl, Velvet freezes when the girl turns her head.

Slightly licking her lips, the dark-haired girl furrows her brows. Feeling a pair of eyes on her, she turns her head and briefly meets a pair of big, caramel eyes.

Feeling a blood-rush, Velvet quickly looks away and tries to focus on the words the woman was saying.

Smirking, Coco turns her attention back to the blonde woman, properly known as Professor Goodwitch. She would be sure to remember that name.

Mentally scolding herself for the rest of orientation, Velvet is startled when the horde of students start talking amongst each other and when the stage-lights are turned off.

"Hello," a warm voice, calls out.

"Oh. Hi," Velvet replies, smiling nervously.

"That was, um, quite . . . informative and . . . scary, huh?" the girl adds, scratching the back of her head.

"Um, pretty much," Velvet agrees, rubbing the side of her arm. Upholding conversations was not Velvet's _forte_. She was socially awkward and introverted at best.

"My name is Pyrrha," the girl states, looking down at the floor.

Dawning on her, Velvet does a double-take. "_Pyrrha_?' she repeats, as it dawns on her, "As in _Pyrrha Nikos_?" she finishes, smiling broadly.

Nodding her head, the red-haired girl lightly kicks the floor, avoiding curious caramels.

"I am a HUGE fan of yours!" Velvet exclaims, now giddy. "I CAN'T believe we're in the same academy!"

Noticing the Faunus girl from before, Coco raises a brow at the exchange she was having with a red-haired girl. Curious, she walks past the horde of fan-girls who were asking her way too many questions.

"My my," Coco begins, standing beside the built, red-haired girl and the cute Faunus. "I've never seen this one show that much excitement before," she adds, avoiding caramel eyes. Coco's cool gaze was one-hundred percent purposefully focused on the beautiful, red-haired girl. "You look familiar . . . " she comments, pushing down her shades to get a better view of the taller girl. Smirk broadening, she scoffs. "Ah. Pumpkin Petes' protegee," she teases before winking.

Words caught in her mouth, Velvet tries to hide her excitement at the fact that THE Coco Adel remembered her from their days at Pharos Combat School.

"Um, yeah," Pyrrha verifies, once again scratching the back of her head. "But unfortunately, I have to say that cereal isn't the best for you; it's all sugar."

"There's nothing wrong with a little coco in your life," Coco flirts, causing the taller girl to furrow her brows. "Coco Adel," the dark-haired girl states, introducing herself and extending out a hand.

Bursting out laughing at Coco's play on her name, Pyrrha shakes the mysterious girl's hand. It was a firm handshake.

Uncomfortable, Velvet tries to come up with an excuse to excuse herself. Of course, Coco was interested in someone like Pyrrha Nikos. Rubbing the side of her arm, she notices a red hood, much like the girl she briefly talked to on the flight to Beacon. Her name was Ruby Rose, and they talked about sweets, as they graciously helped themselves to as many snacks as possible. "Excuse me," the brown-haired Faunus states, focusing all of her attention on the red hood and making her way toward it.

Confused, Coco finally makes eye-contact with the Faunus girl who passes her and who is clearly focused on someone else. Frowning, she could not help but linger her stare.

"Friend of yours?" Pyrrha guesses, as Coco continues watching the cute, brown-haired girl.

"Not really," Coco admits, fully aware that although Velvet and she went to school together, they never crossed paths. Coco's social circle and areas of academic interests varied greatly from Velvet's. They never had a class together; they never went to the same party; they never had the same friends; and they never had any excuse to talk to the other. Plus, it did not help that Coco was easily distracted, especially when it came to girls. Sure, Velvet was cute, but there were plenty of other cute girls at their old school.

"So do you know where you'll camp out? You know, while we wait for the academy to assign us dorms?" Pyrrha asks, looking around as other students begin settling in, setting up their sleeping bags and getting ready for bed.

Lowly growling, Coco shakes her head. She did not recall the brochure mentioning anything about sleeping on the floor their first night after a long trip to Beacon. If anything, the beauty assumed that requiring students to bring their sleeping-bags was reserved for when they would be on far away missions or something. "Nope. How 'bout you? Any idea where you'll be camping?" she asks, meeting bright greens.

"Nope," she answers before her gaze sets on a blonde boy wearing a onesie. Brow raised, Pyrrha stares at the quirky oddball who struggles to set up his sleeping bag. Chuckling, she fights the urge to help him, seeing as to how other boys were making fun of him. And if Pyrrha knew anything about bullies, it was not to give them any more reason to keep bulling. So she knew that if she helped the boy, it would put a target on his back, and it was barely the first day of school.

Catching the taller girl staring at the dimwitted boy, Coco shrugs. "See you tomorrow, kid," she parts, making her way to a less populated area. If there was one thing that truly bothered her, it was to be in enclosed spaces, which made her feel like she was at a desperate loss for air. Therefore, in order to get a good night's rest, she needed to be as far away from the masses as possible. Handbag and designer luggage-case at hand, she makes her toward the back of the auditorium.

Finally in her comfy pajamas, Velvet lies down in her sleeping bag and stares at the ceiling. It was all very surreal to her. Yawning and stretching, Velvet perks up when a strong scent of perfume penetrates her nostrils.

Nearly tripping in the dark, Coco is finally far enough away from most of the crowd to feel comfortable enough to take off her shades. Doing so, she immediately meets caramel eyes who stare deeply into her own honey irises.

"H-h-hi," Velvet manages to say, memorized by Coco's eyes. Despite knowing each other for years, Velvet had never gotten a good look at the beauty's eyes until this very moment.

Stern, Coco pulls out her sleeping bag and lays it beside the other girl. "You don't mind if I bunk here, do you?" she asks, already setting up her sleeping bag. Truthfully, no girl or oblivious boy ever rejected any of her requests. It came with the territory.

Shaking her head, Velvet immediately looks away when the taller girl begins stripping off her clothing. Quickly, the Faunus girl rolls over to the side, opposite Coco.

Oblivious to her voyeuristic, adoring fans, Coco neatly folds her clothes and packs it back into her luggage. Sighing, she runs a hand through her dark brown hair before twirling her auburn strand hair, as she reaches for her scroll. "Yo," she calls out, causing Velvet to flinch.

Nervously, the lighter-haired girl rolls over to face the dark-haired beauty, who was only wearing really short, designer boy-shorts and a snug, black tank-top. "Y-y-yes?"

Holding her scroll, Coco raises a brow at the confused girl who assumed that Coco was talking to her. Gesturing at her scroll, the beauty walks away, pacing, while the embarrassed girl rolls over again, choosing not to face the intimidating beauty.

Blushing immensely, Velvet traces patterns on the floor to decelerate her heart.

Ending the call, the beauty returns to her sleeping area and notices a very fidgety Faunus girl. Shrugging it off, Coco lays down and rests her hands behind her head, settling into sleep. Sighing, she stares at the ceiling, while stealing a glance, every now and then, at the cute Faunus girl beside her. Contemplating on whether or not to start a conversation or simply flirt, Coco bites her lip. _Nah. _From what Coco gathered, Velvet was highly intelligent and much to preoccupied with training, school, photography, and reading to dabble in a fling.

Using her heightened hearing, Velvet picks up on consistent breathing and a rhythmic, stable heartbeat. Coco must be asleep. Rolling over to the other side, Velvet faces the sleeping beauty. Not long after, Velvet falls asleep, staring at Pharos Combat School's notorious record performance-breaker and breaker of hearts.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Caffeine**

Yawning, the beauty stretches. Oozing of extreme fatigue, she barely manages to open her eyes. She needed caffeine.

Dressed and hot beverage at hand, the quieter of the girls lounges by her extremely organized sleeping area, sleeping bag neatly folded and resting beside her luggage and personal belongings. Turning the page on her book, she tenses when the dark-haired girl rolls over to face her.

Yawning more loudly, Coco painstakingly forces her eyes open. "Where'd you get that?" she mutters, gaze immediately focused on the steaming, hot beverage being held by rather fair and delicate hands.

"I, um, made it," Velvet explains, staring at the kitty foam art she crafted in her latte; she liked kittens.

Licking her lips, Coco inadvertently growls. She really needed caffeine.

Pushing a strand of brown hair behind her ear, Velvet picks up on Coco's gawking. "W-w-would you c-care for s-some?" she asks, already regretting the words. Of course, someone as high in society like Coco Adel would never drink someone's seconds.

Without any hesitation, Coco reaches out to nab the caffeine. Taking in its wonderful, powerfully adrenaline-laced scent and admiring its delicate foam art of a kitten, Coco takes a sip that quickly turns into a gulp. Mouth beautifully on fire, she sets the cup down. To no surprise, she had obliterated the kitten. Guilty, she hands the cup back to its owner, who raises a brow at how much of the steaming beverage Coco had drank without batting an eye.

"I can make us some more, if you'd like," the lighter-haired girl suggests, offering her latte back to beauty. The rumors were true: Coco Adel was clearly a caffeine addict.

"Really?" Coco asks, hungrily eyeing the beverage once more before downing it.

Chuckling, Velvet nods her head. "I'll make them, while you get ready," she suggests, ears perking up. Getting up, she recalls the time when she worked part-time as a barista at a cat cafe to help pay for her tuition, but she never recalled being this giddy and eager to satisfy a customer. "I'll be right back!" she announces, skipping off to make them lattes.

Brow raised, Coco chuckles, as her gaze follows furry, adorable little bunny ears. "I want a cute bunny on mine!" she calls out, causing the shorter girl to halt for second. Standing up to gather her belongings, Coco runs a hand through her ruffled hair. She had a long day ahead of her, but, thankfully, the Velvet girl was going to alleviate it by providing her one of the best crafted lattes she had ever tasted.

Still at a loss for words, Velvet continues making her way to the student union, all the while thinking of Coco's request: a cute bunny on her latte. Lightly blushing, Velvet walks past a dark-haired girl who, despite reading while walking, expertly maneuvers out of Velvet's way without taking her eyes off of her novel. Feeling an odd sense of familiarity, Velvet's gaze follows out the mysterious girl wearing a huge black bow. And once the girl exits the student union, Velvet heads over to the coffee area and works on the lattes she promised to Coco.

* * *

All caffeined up, Coco lets out a satisfactory sigh.

It was a beautiful morning, a cloudy day with no hint of rain or shine. Still choosing to adorn her shades, she stretches as the fresh mountain air hits her exposed stomach.

No more than fifteen feet apart, Velvet looks away from the beauty's toned abdomen. Sighing, she looks at her own stomach. She was fit, but not Coco fit.

" . . . you will rely on your very own landing strategy," the silver-haired professor continues, taking a sip from his mug. "But children," the old man continues, sighing, "Do keep in mind that forest is inhabited with the creatures of Grimm. It is up to you to keep yourselves alive."

"What the headmaster is implying," the blonde woman from the night before cuts in, "Is that us, the instructors, will **NOT** interfere . . . even if you find yourselves in grave danger," she finishes, as the students survey each other, smiling nervously.

"The first person you make eye-contact with will be your partner for the next four years," Professor Ozpin starts, studying the already-nervous crowd. "There are **no** exceptions, so whoever turns out to be your partner will remain your partner for the rest of your time here at Beacon. **Period**."

"And once you're partnered up," Professor Goodwitch beings, standing tall, "Your mission is to make it to the northern end of the forest and retrieve a relic of your choosing."

"We will monitor you and grade you, accordingly," the silver-haired headmaster cuts in, taking another sip. "Keep in mind that the relic that you and your partner choose to retrieve will be taken into consideration for team formations, as well as your ranking and grade."

"Any questions?" the blonde woman asks, completely ignoring the multiple hands that go up. "Good," she finishes, smiling slyly.

"We will begin the countdown," Professor Ozpin comments, turning around and giving the confused students his back, along with Professor Goodwitch.

"Your thoughts, Glynda?" Ozpin asks the blonde, as he surveys the mountainous area.

"We have an _interesting_ bunch this year, Oz," the tall, blonde professor remarks, pushing the bridge of her glasses back.

"Couldn't agree more," Ozpin replies, chugging the rest of his beverage, as Glynda raises a brow.

Heart pounding in her ears, Velvet steadies herself, coming to terms that she was going to be launched off and thrown more 500 feet off of the ground with no parachute nor guarantee that she would live to see tomorrow. Taking in a deep breath, she scopes out her classmates. Ruby, the girl in the red hood, was just launched. Giddy, the curious and younger girl grins, using her semblance of speed to push against the air. Next, her older sister, Yang, was _laughing. _Clearly a thrill-seeker, the blonde girl was howling and screaming of joy, using her arm blasters for a boost to propel her to go higher. Next was a blonde boy, who clearly had no idea what he was doing, as he screamed in utter fear, eyes closed, as he twisted and contorted himself in odd positions out of fear.

Then, it was Pyrrha Nikos. Unsurprisingly, the renown, young warrior was as calm and determined as can be, graciously spearing into the sky. Following the red-head, the mysterious dark-haired girl from before is launched, and just like Pyrrha, this mysterious girl is as calm as can be. Adding even more mystery is how the girl's landing strategy was already becoming apparent to a trained eye; this girl was prepping herself to land graciously on all fours. Even more curious was how her bow still remained intact, despite the strong gusts of wind and speed she was flying at. Something told Velvet to keep an eye on this girl; she had a feeling there was more to this girl, something dark.

Next was Weiss Schnee, who is, at least until now, handling this odd ordeal the best. Using her glyphs, the heiress showed no sign of anxiety or fear. Calmly, the beautiful, regal-looking girl was already demonstrating superiority amongst her peers, as she upheld perfect composure as she transported herself between her glyphs, twirling and posing combat-ready with her rapier. Taking a mental note, Weiss Schnee was the one to look out for, as well as Pyrrha Nikos, seeing as to how well-trained, composed, tactful, and skillful the heiress was.

Following Weiss is another calm soul. He seemed like the kind of person Velvet would easily be friends with, considering how not intimidating he seemed and how that odd streak of pink contrasted his dark hair. He was also quiet, at least, that's what she gathered when she sat close to him on the flight to Beacon. His friend, on the other hand, the orange-haired girl was quite the contrast to his quiet nature. Velvet recalled the orange-haired eating both of their complimentary meals, as well as stocking up on snacks that she was nabbing from her and Ruby.

Speaking of, it was the loud girl's turn and just like Ruby's sister, the orange-haired girl couldn't be happier being shot off the ground. Riding her hammer, laughing, the girl was leaving behind pink hearts in her path. Chuckling, Velvet thought that she could also become good friends with someone as extroverted as this firecracker-of-a-girl. She seemed like a lot fun and just the right amount of adventurous; it was easy to see why she and the reserved, dark-haired boy were friends; they complimented each other very well.

Gulping, Velvet realizes its Coco's turn. Despite knowing Pharos Combat School's very own heiress was a top-notch fighter, scholar, and performer who excelled in any scenario, Velvet couldn't help but feel slightly worried that Coco could get hurt. That notion, however, was quickly put to rest, as soon as Velvet saw how unfazed Coco was as she flew in the air. Hand gripping her handbag and the other hand holding her beret in place, Coco was as cool as ever.

Next was the type of person Velvet dreaded being close to. It was an incredibly tall boy with a heavy, athletic built. Not to mention, Velvet knew he hailed from Mistral, and the people from Mistral tended to hate people like her: the Faunus. Looking away from the boy, Velvet steadies herself; her turn was coming up.

Heart racing again, Velvet's time had come, and as soon as she was launched off the ground, she completely forgot all about her landing strategy, as she screamed at the top of her lungs.

* * *

"Well, that could've been better," the Faunus girl mutters to herself, dusting herself off. It was a _terrible_ landing strategy. What's more, the headmaster and all of the other professors would see her rookie mistakes and rank her and grade her, accordingly. Rarely did Velvet curse, but this was a grand exception. "I'm fucked," she mutters, sighing and hugging herself, as she cautiously starts making her way north of the forest. _So much for proving I'm more than just a delicate, fragile little girl with big dreams of being one of Remnant's greatest huntresses . . . _

* * *

Handbag hanging loosely, the dark-haired girl struts the forest. Bored, Coco sighs. She had a mental list of students she thought would make good partners. Based on their backgrounds and rankings at their old school, there were some good fighters here at Beacon. Then, for a slight moment, Coco thinks about getting the wrong partner. Grunting, she shakes her head and shivers. _I swear I will transfer out if I get stuck with that annoyingly pain-in-the-ass, misogynistic, mama's boy, __little shit-turd! _she thinks to herself, referring to none other than Cardin Winchester. Typically, Coco didn't let people get to her, but Cardin was an awful exception. All throughout the long and weary journey to Beacon, the tall, narcissistic boy spent the entire time talking up his family's enormous wealth, as well as bullying his soon-to-be peers, which included Velvet.

Tensing her jaw, Coco furrows brows. At the time, it bothered her that Cardin would bully Velvet just because she was a Faunus, and to Coco, hating on the Faunus was a very regressive, uncool way of living. But now, given how kind, sweet, and innocent Velvet appeared to be, it infuriated the dark-haired girl even more. If Cardin continued to do so, she just may lose her cool and snap.

Raising a brow at how passionate she felt about Cardin bullying Velvet, Coco shrugs it off. It was unlike her to get involved in others' drama. In fact, it was unlike her to be involved in drama in general. Sure, there were some upset flowers whose hearts she broke, but Coco tended to keep her cool and go with the flow, never once buying into nor feeding her exes' rumor-mills.

Nevertheless, Cardin automatically knew better than to mess with Coco. Not only was she intimidating by sight, but she was a well-known heiress. In fact, Coco Adel was the daughter of a renown armor/fashion designer for the biggest names in Huntsmen and Huntresses, as well as the daughter of Remnant's biggest art dealer. In other words, there was no doubt as to why Coco was always so cool and always in style; both of her moms made a living setting trends, and they were the best in their respective careers. Hence, Coco only upheld one firm belief in her life, "Be the best", just like her moms.

Thus, the one time that she made eye-contact with Cardin, the loudmouthed boy set his gaze down, asserting Coco's superiority over him, which, in turn, made her smirk.

Sighing, clearly lost and longing for Velvet's unique blend of scorching, hot lattes, Coco stops to analyze the forested area. Scroll at hand, she decides to venture north, since, after all, that's where she needed to go eventually. And hopefully, she would make partners with someone competent, and most importantly, someone who was on her list.

* * *

Screaming, Velvet flies off, upon being rammed by a Boarbatusk.

Hearing a scream, Yatsuhashi starts running in that direction. If his parents taught him anything, it was to help others in need.

* * *

Hiding in the shadows, Coco watches a dark-skinned, red-haired boy land in style._ Cool._

Rarely had Coco uttered that four letter word to anyone beside herself and her mothers. Yawning and shaking her head, Coco makes her way toward the boy who tenses and looks directly at her.

"Hello?" the boy calls out.

Waving, Coco notices that the boy remains poised. Something was off. Waving once more, she realized that the still-boy's demeanor implied that he had horrible eyesight or that he was blind. Smirking, she quickens her pace, getting a better look at the boy. He was definitely blind.

His name was Fox Alistair, as Coco recalled from his quick bio, and he was more far interesting in person than he was in paper. In other words, Fox Alistair was exactly who she wanted to be paired with: someone who was competent, skilled, interesting, intelligent, and would very much give more of an edge to her already-blossoming reputation.

Composing himself, the boy relaxes before chuckling.

"What?" Coco asks, already three feet from him.

"You catch on quick," the odd boy comments, grinning.

Brow raised, Coco cocks her hip and rests her hand atop it.

"Not everyone figures out I'm blind that quickly," the boy clarifies, causing the cool girl to lose her cool.

_How the fuck-_

"-Oh yea," Fox continues, interrupting Coco's thoughts as his grin broadens, "I can tap into others' consciousness."

"Cool . . . " Coco manages to say, peering down from her shades. Fox Alistair was most definitely more interesting in person and was turning out to be the ideal partner for the cool, heiress. After all, the headmaster clearly stated that whoever they made eye-contact with first would be their respective partner for their duration at Beacon.

Reading into Coco's thoughts, Fox nods in agreement. They were partners. Therefore, it made sense for him to share his semblance with his partner, since, after all they were going to be stuck with each other for four years.

"By the way," Coco starts, extending out her hand. "I'm Coco Adel."

"I know," Fox replies, shaking his partner's hand. "Fox Alistair."

"I know."

"So does it count if the first person we made eye-contact with is blind?" Fox jokes, causing Coco to burst out laughing, which was rare.

Fox Alistair was definitely the right choice. Lightly smacking the boy's back, Coco winks at the boy. "I like you," she discloses before patting his shoulder and eyeing his weapons: a pair of orange-bladed tonfas. "Nice.. You've got _killer_ style," she comments, chuckling once more.

Grinning goofily, the boy scratches the back of his head. To be honest, Coco Adel didn't seem like the type he wanted as a partner, but her cool demeanor and confidence she radiated upon herself and others made her quite the strong character. She was the right choice.

Yawning, Coco rests her hands behind her head, as Fox clears his throat.

"I can find her, ya know," the dark-skinned boy comments, causing Coco to raise a brow.

"Um, what?" Coco asks, confused.

"The Faunus girl you're thinking of," Fox explains, quickly regretting it. "I'm sorry. Your thoughts are just so loud."

"Oh," Coco utters, shrugging it off. "She just makes a really rad latte," she explains, nearly drooling at the thought of it.

Laughing, Fox pats Coco's shoulder. "You and I are gonna get along just fine," he comments, gesturing them to thread forward.

Agreeing, Coco subconsciously takes the lead. Fox is quick to oblige, not because he was blind and couldn't "see" but because Coco had this natural leader aura about her. Walking side-by-side, the newly formed duo ventures north to complete their first mission.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: you should see me in a crown**

Feet hardly scraping the ground, the brown-haired girl grunts, as she avoids another round of Boarbatusks trying to ram her to the ground.

Panting, out of breath, Yatsuhashi runs his arm through his forehead, wiping off some sweat. Three more Grimm were dead. _Velvet_. Tightening the grip on his sword, he takes off after girl, sighing in relief when his Faunus partner expertly dodges yet another series of attacks. Determined, the tall, muscular boy increases his speed before cutting through the thick air, sending a strong gust of wind that unleashes upon the Boarbatusks, as they stumble.

Taking her cue, Velvet jumps up a tree, getting the high ground. Opening the little box that she had been carrying with her, she spreads her arms out and summons a pair of bright, neon-blue holographic plates that begin taking the form of arm-grappling hooks. _Jade_, Velvet thinks to herself, referring to one of her old classmates, who was nicknamed "spider-monkey" for her expert swinging skills. Unlocking her semblance of photographic memory, Velvet taps into Jade's swinging techniques. More at ease with the grappling-hooks, Velvet skillfully swings through the forested area and positions herself, dead-center, above the horde of Boarbatusks. Morphing her weapon into a medieval flail, Velvet launches herself down to the ground, surrounded by Grimm. Determined, Velvet, in perfect striking position, swings the newly created medieval ball, with spikes, right into one of the Boarbatusks. Spikes piercing through its thick hide, the Boarbatusk wails and screeches before turning to black smoke. Smirking, Velvet goes on a killing-spree, striking and obliterating the Grimm, as they fly across the field and crash onto pine trees. Gaining more momentum from each kill, the girl spots the last pack of Boarbatusk who look at each other before running away. Always ahead of the game, Velvet shape-shifts her holographic plates into a bazooka. Steadying the heavy gun, she gets down on one knee, closes one eye, takes aim, and fires the missile. When the bazooka's smoke clears up, all that remains is the thick, dark smoke of the Grimms' remains.

Starstruck, Yatsuhashi inadvertently drops his sword. Velvet was not all what he assumed her to be. Heck, she was leagues ahead of him, and he wagered that she was leagues ahead of all of Beacon's first years.

"HEY!" Velvet screams, snapping the boy back to reality.

Confused, the boy looks at the girl who points behind him. There was one remaining Boarbatusk, who clearly had no idea what to do, seeing as to how his entire pack was massacred. Nodding, Yatsuhashi picks up his sword and easily takes out the lone Grimm.

Nodding at her partner, Velvet decides to climb one of the taller pine trees and starts making her way to the top. One prop about being a Faunus was their heightened senses. Using her incredible eyesight, Velvet searches for clues, relating to their mission. Ears perking up, Velvet undoubtedly finds the ruins. Satisfied, she opens Anesidora, her weapon box, and shuts it down. Jumping down, Velvet winks at her partner, who is very much still in shock.

Subconsciously, Yatsuhashi looks the girl up and down.

"M-m-mind your manners!" Velvet scolds, fighting a blush.

"S-s-sorry," the tall boy apologizes, blushing profusely. "I just-" he starts before trailing off.

"You just what?" Velvet snaps, still bothered and upset.

"I just didn't know you could do that . . . "

"Oh," Velvet utters, relaxing and scratching the back of her head. "No one ever does," she admits, partially proud for exceeding everyone's expectations of her, while partially let down by the fact that she was so vastly underestimated and that no assumed she had the potential to be remarkable.

Ears perking, Velvet tenses before rolling her eyes. "We're not done yet," she states, hearing fainting roars of Grimm growing louder and louder with each passing second.

* * *

Halting in their journey, Fox touches the ground, feeling vibrations.

"What's up?" Coco asks, peering down to observe her partner.

Standing back up, Fox sighs. "Grimm."

"Where?"

"About a mile that way," the red-haired boy answers, pointing east.

"Feeling up for it?" Coco asks, smirking and already getting pumped for some action.

Grinning, Fox fists-pumps in the air. "We were soooo meant to be together," he jokes, as Coco scoffs and rolls her eyes.

"Then, let's hustle!" the dark-haired encourages, taking off sprinting, as Fox catches up, running side-by-side in perfect sync.

* * *

With three Ursai in front of her, Velvet unlocks Anesidora ready to create a copy of a naginata. Twirling the newly-formed weapon at hand, Velvet uses her photographic memory to recall her old classmates' fighting style. Remembering, the girl smirks as she takes on the grimm.

Naginata gripped tightly, Velvet plunges it to the ground, creating a sonic wave, which imbalances the nearby Ursai. Smirking, she lunges at one of them, planting the blunt end of the naginata on the ground to use it to vault her to the Ursai. Mid-air, she swings the naginata, swinging the sharp blade down as it pierces onto the Ursai's skull, slicing it in half. Landing on the ground, she twirls the naginata before tossing it to her left hand and striking it, point blank, at another Ursai's throat. Hearing stomps growing nearer and nearer, Velvet uses the naginata to vault herself atop a tree.

Picking his moment, Yatsuhashi runs toward the Ursai that is targeting his partner and rams his sword through its back, turning it to smoke.

Going the photographs in her storage unit, Velvet stops at a pair of Berettas. _Perfect_.

As Velvet sorted through her pictures, Yatsuhashi was chased off and surrounded by six Ursais. Breathing calmly, the determined yet disciplined boy tightens his grip on his sword, waiting for an attack. When it happens, he is quick to spin out of its way but not before yanking the Ursai's tail. Using his all his strength, he pulls back the Ursai toward him, as he rams his sword onto the Ursai's heart. Not missing a beat, he begins spinning his sword, faster and faster, using Dust to create a sandstorm.

Confused, the Ursai wail to locate the other, which made it easier for Yatsuhashi to pinpoint them and kill them.

"YATSUHASHI!" she calls out, not able to find the boy.

"VELVET!" the boy calls out, grunting and stepping out of the weakening and fainting sandstorm.

Ears perking up, Velvet follow's Yatsuhashi's voice, finding emerge from a cloud of sand.

Finding him, Velvet sees an Ursai trailing behind him. Using her semblance of photographic memory, Velvet masters the Beretta in a fraction of a second. Launching herself off the tree and flying past Yatsuhashi, Velvet takes aim, mid-air, and shoots the Ursai right between its eyes.

Chuckling lightly, Yatsuhashi scratches the back of his head, as Velvet lands swiftly on the ground. "Thanks . . . " he utters, still mesmerized by the girl.

"You're welcome!" Velvet replies, smiling brightly, as she shuts down Anesidora.

"You're, um, really something, you know," the boy adds, smiling proudly at his partner. Velvet was, without a doubt, the strongest and most powerful girl he had ever met.

Lightly blushing, Velvet rubs the side of her arm before tensing.

Reading into his partner's change in demeanor, Yatsuhashi tightens the grip on his blade.

"That smell . . . " Velvet remarks before hearing gunfire.

Tensing, both students head toward the direction of the chaos.

* * *

Slightly faster than Velvet, Yatsuhashi finds himself caught in a fight between another first year student and a Death Stalker.

Landing on his feet, Fox, has his arms covering his face in an "x" formation, as he slides back a couple of feet after blocking the Grimm's attack. "Watch out for his tail!" he manages to yell at the newcomer. Frowning, Fox happens to hear the boy's thoughts.

_I hope Velvet is okay. Wait . . . I **know** she's okay. _

Grunting, Yatsuhashi rolls over on the ground, dodging the Death Stalker's tail. Standing up, he swishes his greatsword, missing the tail, before getting closer to the Grimm.

Amused, Fox joins the stranger.

Strike blocked by the Death Stalker's stinger, Yatsuhashi retreats his weapon, somersaulting back to avoid the grimm's counter-strike.

Now more familiar with this particular Death Stalker's rhythm and attacks, Fox goes about attacking in a different style. Running up to the Grimm, Fox does not strike. Instead, he awaits the Grimm to attack, as he dodges it, picking up on the rhythm. Back in Vacuou, Fox dabbled in the ancient fighting style of Capoeira. Here with Death Stalker, it was all about footwork. Showing extreme acrobatic skill, Fox dodges every single one of the Death Stalker's strikes, as he rolls over, leaps, somersaults, and even performs one-hand stands.

In awe and going about it in brute force, Yatshushi continues to attempt to land a blow on the Grimm, while dodging its attacks, as well.

Finally arriving, Velvet sees two boys, fighting very distinctly from one another.

"Keep hitting it!" Fox yells to Yatsuhashi who nods.

_Wait for it. Wait for it. Wait for it._ Fox tells himself, waiting for the rhythm to break and for his window to open.

Spotting Velvet out of the corner of his eye, Yatsuhashi, now more determined than ever, attempts to end the Grimm's life. He felt like he needed to prove to the girl that he wouldn't hold her back. Roaring, Yatsuhashi strikes with all his might and winds up slicing two of the Death Stalker's legs.

Screeching, the Death Stalker lifts its head up, as it flails in pain.

_Got'cha_, Fox tells himself, running and sliding under its head before launching himself off the ground, blade slicing the Death Stalker's head.

Immediately, the Grimm turns to black smoke.

Landing softly on the ground, the dark-skinned boy runs a hand through his hair. "Thank's dude!"

"Y-y-yeah," Yatshashi utters, as Velvet runs to his side.

"Are you guys ok?" she asks, as both young men look at each other before snickering.

"We're good," Fox assures, as a grin begins to form.

"Nice hustle there boys," a cool voice inputs, as a dark-haired girl drops down from the sky. Landing swiftly on the ground, the girl adjusts her beret before running a hand through the auburn strand of hair that lightly hit her face.

"I'm guessing you took care of the nest," Fox remarks to the dark-haired girl who is quick to smirk.

"Of course, I did," Coco coolly replies, playfully smacking the boy's broad shoulder. "Shame on you for doubting me."

"I'm ashamed," Fox jokes, causing Coco to chuckle.

"By the way, kudos on taking care of the big fellas," the girl in dark shades states, smiling proudly at her partner.

"I had a bit of help," Fox admits, gesturing to the tall, athletic built boy.

"Oh! I just helped with one," Yatsuhashi states, suddenly feeling unfit for Beacon. He seemed like the odd one out. Velvet took on dozens of Grimm, just as Fox and this other girl had apparently done, as well.

"Coco Adel," the girl greets, extending out her hand for Yatsuhashi.

"Yatsuhashi Daichi," the tall boy replies, shaking the tall girl's hand. She was strong.

"Yeah . . . I'm gonna call you Yatsu," Coco comments, letting of the boy's hand and turning her attention over to the Faunus girl. "I haven't formerly introduced myself," she begins, peering over her shades and extending out her hand "Coco Adel."

"Velvet Scarlatina," the brown-haired girl replies, shaking Coco's hand. It was warm and soft, despite the gloves.

"Thank you for this morning, Velvet," Coco flirts, smoldering her eyes, as Yatsu and Fox clear their throats, looking nervously at each other.

Unfazed, Velvet cocks her head to the side, looking past Coco's head, which bothered the dark-haired girl. If there was one game Coco loved to play, it was to make girls blush.

"What?" Coco asks, upset that the girl seemed indifferent to charm.

"We're here."

"What?" all three of the other students reply in unison, confused.

Pointing behind Coco, Velvet sees the outline of a structure. It had to be the ruins. Their mission was finally about to come to an end.


End file.
